The Black Cross ensign was run up. Its appearance was greeted by a prolonged blast on the stranger's siren, then from the extremity of the pursuing craft's bridge a man began semaphoring.
Although skilled in semaphore, neither Denbigh nor O'Hara could understand the message. The British system differs from the German, which again varies with the French and Spanish. Yet, peculiarly, the officers and men of the _Pelikan_ could read the signal with ease.
Grave, anxious looks gave place to smiles, while one of the crew began to cheer--a demonstration that the kapitan quickly suppressed.
Von Riesser had now ascended the bridge. Still suspicious he ordered the torpedo tubes to be charged and the engines to be reversed.
Directly the overtaking craft noticed the falling off of the liner's speed her decks were black with humanity, and the air was rent with cries of "Hoch!" Then came the strains of "Deutschland uber alles", in which the _Pelikan's_ crew joined lustily.
"Good heavens!" ejaculated Denbigh. "What does it all mean? There's a small German colony afloat."
As there was hardly any sea running the two vessels ran alongside each other. The new-comer had the name _San Matias_ painted on her stern and on her boats and life-buoys. She carried no guns except a couple of small brass signalling pieces. Her officers and a few of her crew were South Americans, beyond doubt, but the rest of the crowded complement were of marked Teutonic origin.
The British subs stood at the rail watching the unwonted sight. No one offered to order them below. It was part of the business to let them see what was going on.
No time was lost. While a party of officers from the _San Matias_ were being entertained by von Riesser in his cabin the Germans from her transferred themselves and their belongings to the _Pelikan_--nearly three hundred men of military age and bearing. Then came the work of transhipping stores from the capacious holds of the South American vessel. Carcass after carcass of oxen and sheep were brought on deck. From the oxen were produced long bundles wrapped in cloth. Every bundle contained four modern magazine rifles. Enclosed with the frozen mutton were small shells and rifle ammunition. As fast as the munitions were taken from their strange places of concealment most of the carcasses were dumped overboard, a few hundred being retained for food and stored in the _Pelikan's_ refrigerators. Then came bundles of hides, each containing parts of machine-guns, until it looked as if the ship had enough material to equip an army corps.